The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is narrated by Death as he follows Liesel and her foster family during the Holocaust. Throughout the novel, books, an accordion, and bread appear multiple times. These three symbols can be compared at contrasted when looking at what they represent, how they relate to rebelling, and how they aid the evolution of the characters associated with them.
To begin with, books, the accordion, and bread all symbolize positive things. For example, books symbolize power because Liesel acquired such when she learned to read and write. The accordion, on the other hand, symbolizes friendship. One is able to realize this when Death states, “...a German Jew named Erik Vandenburg...taught (Hans Hubermann) to play the accordion. The two of them gradually became friends due to the fact that neither of them was terribly …show more content…
For instance, at one of the book burnings, Liesel steals a book as a pile of them is on fire (Zusak 120). At this time, knowledge was power and Hitler did not want books with propaganda or messages contradicting his diabolical litanies being read by Germans. Therefore, Liesel’s crime, which was seen as repugnant, is her unique way of going against the maniacal Nazis. In contrast, the accordion becomes associated with rebelling when Hans is connected with Max, Erik’s Jewish son. The first thing Max asks Hans when they meet is “‘Do you still play the accordion?’” (Zusak 185). Lacking nonchalance, Hans culpability causes him to feel as if it is obligatory for him to hide his friend’s son as a way of paying back Erik for saving his life during the previous war. Also, bread is related to rebelling when Hans illegally proffered some to the dying Jew. Unfortunately, he was caught red-handed and “...Hans Hubermann was whipped on the street” (Zusak 394). In other words, though all of these acts were related to rebelling, two went
To begin with, books, the accordion, and bread all symbolize positive things. For example, books symbolize power because Liesel acquired such when she learned to read and write. The accordion, on the other hand, symbolizes friendship. One is able to realize this when Death states, “...a German Jew named Erik Vandenburg...taught (Hans Hubermann) to play the accordion. The two of them gradually became friends due to the fact that neither of them was terribly …show more content…
For instance, at one of the book burnings, Liesel steals a book as a pile of them is on fire (Zusak 120). At this time, knowledge was power and Hitler did not want books with propaganda or messages contradicting his diabolical litanies being read by Germans. Therefore, Liesel’s crime, which was seen as repugnant, is her unique way of going against the maniacal Nazis. In contrast, the accordion becomes associated with rebelling when Hans is connected with Max, Erik’s Jewish son. The first thing Max asks Hans when they meet is “‘Do you still play the accordion?’” (Zusak 185). Lacking nonchalance, Hans culpability causes him to feel as if it is obligatory for him to hide his friend’s son as a way of paying back Erik for saving his life during the previous war. Also, bread is related to rebelling when Hans illegally proffered some to the dying Jew. Unfortunately, he was caught red-handed and “...Hans Hubermann was whipped on the street” (Zusak 394). In other words, though all of these acts were related to rebelling, two went